


The View from 3 Foot 5

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-13
Updated: 2010-02-13
Packaged: 2018-11-21 01:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11346996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Schmoop from a pint-sized perspective.





	The View from 3 Foot 5

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

The View from 3 Foot 5

## The View from 3 Foot 5

### by Courtney Gray

##### [Story Headers]

  

    
    
         " _Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children._ "
                   --Oliver Wendell Holmes
    
    

"Billy! C'mon back! Don't go into the woods alone!" 

The child ignored the voice. He was sure he'd seen...something, like a fluttering light weaving through the tall, thick trees that began at the end of the winding path. He was sure of it. 

"Billy, you heard me!" 

He thought it could've been the way the sun slanted through the trees. Or, more likely, it could be a forest spirit casting a spell. 

"Billy! Now!" 

_Aw, phooey. He wanted to 'vestigate!_ To Billy, the woods were invitingly mysterious and he was certain they contained all manner of strange and wondrous phenomenon. And he'd be careful, he thought petulantly. Besides, he had gone walking there tons of times with his father. He kicked at a clod of dirt with the toe of his sneaker and turned around. "Okay, okay, I'm comin'!" he yelled back, in that tone of voice that always made his mother roll her eyes. His dad didn't seem to mind though. Maybe because his mom would always say he sounded just like his father when he didn't get his way. 

With a dramatic sigh, the little boy ambled back towards the house, casting a longing glance at the trees behind him. 

He stopped to pick up a stone, scrutinizing its bumpy shape. It looked a little like a dragon, he decided, stuffing it into his pocket, next to the pebble with the yellow streaks. 

His father was waiting at the back door and that was when Billy noticed the funny look on his face. He wondered if his Mom had called. He hoped he didn't have to cut his visit short. He'd barely been there more than a couple of days. 

"I wasn't gonna go that far, Daddy. I wanted to 'splore," he said, as his father reached out and ruffled his hair. 

"We can go exploring tomorrow." 

That only made Billy sure that his dad was worried about something. "Something wrong, Dad?" 

"No, nothing's wrong. Um, I wanted you to come back because I want you to meet someone." 

They went into the kitchen. The sun was shining in through the big windows, sharpening the bright colors in the woven rug on the dark wood floor. A man rose from one of the four kitchen chairs set around the sturdy wood table. He gave Billy a little nod and smiled. 

"Billy, this is Alex. Alex is an old...friend of mine," his father told him. 

"It's nice to see you, Billy," the man greeted, in a voice that was a lot huskier than his dad's. 

Billy walked over to him, eyeing him curiously before holding out his hand politely as he'd seen his parents do when they met new people. The man reached down and took it, shaking it with a warm grip. At the contact, a little tingle curled through Billy, like it did when he remembered funny. He tilted his head and stared up at the man. "I 'member you," he said. 

Alex glanced at his dad and back at Billy. "Really?" 

"You carried me," Billy told him with a nod. "Through the fire." He could see it in his head. Big red flames shooting up all around him and smoke swirling like big dark clouds. The sounds were awful. It was so hot and he was crying really loud. "You put me in your coat. It was all wet and you carried me and ran." He didn't mention how he had cried. 

Alex got down on one knee and gave him a little smile. "You weren't much older than a baby then." 

"I 'member." He raised his hand and touched the side of the man's face, one finger tracing a faint scar near his jaw. Billy remembered how he could hear the rapid breathing, words that he hadn't understood then, the sounds echoing now in his head as he looked at Alex. 

" _It's okay...it's...okay. I've got you. Gonna get you out. Not gonna leave you...it's okay...Gonna get you out..._ " Harsh sounds from a husky voice near exhaustion. Terrible noises, explosions and the man coughing, everything shaking around them, yet there was always the sound of a pounding heartbeat, fast but steady, a strong body sheltering him and keeping him safe. 

Billy smiled into the man's green eyes. He remembered the man's green eyes and the kindness in them. Alex smiled back at him and gently brushed the top of his head with his hand. "Your arm is different." He pointed to the man's left hand. "It wasn't...right before," said Billy, remembering the image and sensation of a stiff, unyielding hand covered in a black leather glove. He touched Alex's fingers. They were warm and tanned. 

"Hey, you really do remember a lot, Billy," replied Alex. "Yes, I, uh, I had it fixed after I brought you back to your mom and dad." 

"Did it hurt? Did you have to be in a 'oxpital?" 

"Um, a little bit, but I didn't have to stay in a hospital, no." 

"Okay, you two, how about we decide what we're doing for dinner?" His dad was grinning. That was better. 

"But dinner isn't for hours yet," Billy told him reasonably. He wanted to ask Alex more about his arm. 

"Well, if we want to cook something special, we'll have to go to town and pick up whatever we need. Or, we could go out to a restaurant." 

"You mean you're not gonna cook from the freezer tonight?" asked Billy, distracted. 

"Um, no." 

"How does your dad cook from the freezer, Billy?" asked Alex with a hint of a smile. 

"Daddy cooks the boxes in the freezer. He puts 'em in the microwave or sometimes in a pot of really hot water. Most of it tastes pretty good. I like the mac and cheese the best." 

Alex grimaced and shook his head. "Oh, Mulder, how could you?" 

"Hey, I get Stouffers. It's the good stuff." 

"Daddy's a good cook," defended Billy, wondering why Alex was laughing. 

"Alex is much better at it, son." 

Billy considered the statement for a moment. "Can you make chocolate cake?" 

Alex nodded. "Yes, I can. And without a box." 

"Really?!" Billy found it difficult to believe. After all, even his grandma used a box and she was the best cook in the whole world. 

"I make a dam--, uh, especially good spaghetti and meatballs, too." 

"Daddy makes that with a can." 

Alex made a funny face and looked at his father. "You are without mercy, Mulder." 

"Hey, all right then, you make dinner. How about that, Billy? Alex can make spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate cake for us tonight. With no boxes or cans. How's that sound?" 

Billy liked the way his Dad's eyes seemed to sparkle and he liked the way Alex smiled. "Yeah! Spaghetti and chocolate cake! Can I help?" He had to witness such a feat with his own eyes. 

"Sure, Billy. Your dad can lend a hand, too." 

Billy giggled as his dad crossed his eyes and made a hanged man face. 

"Can we have ice cream, too?" 

"Well, that we can get from the freezer," replied Alex quickly. 

Billy agreed with a nod as his father's laughter filled the room. 

* * *

A layer of floor and dollops of chocolate seemed to cover every surface in the kitchen as the two men and one boy stood back from the table to admire the large platter of iced cupcakes. Billy licked at the remains of chocolate around his mouth. There was a definite benefit to being the one to bring the mixing spoons to the sink. 

"I never heard of adding coffee to the batter," his dad was saying as he sucked a bit of chocolate off his thumb. "Sure tastes good though." 

"Just a little. It deepens the chocolate flavor." Alex gazed around the room. His spaghetti sauce was simmering on the stove, adding other delicious aromas to the air. "It looks like a flour tornado hit the kitchen." 

"Mine has the most sprinkles!" announced Billy proudly pointing to three top-heavy cupcakes that looked like they were wearing chocolate turbans with a thick coating of multi-colored sprinkles. 

"That's for sure," agreed his dad with a smile. 

""I'm glad we made cupcakes instead of a big ol' cake. Can we eat some now?" asked Billy, putting on what his mother called his pitiful puppy dog face. 

His dad was shaking his head. "Don't try that look on me, boy. I invented that look." 

But Alex seemed to be wavering so Billy turned towards him, lower lip puckered. "Pleeeeese, Alex?" 

"Well..." 

He almost had him, too, but then his father had to go and step in front of him. Drat. 

"You've had enough icing from the bowls to last you a while, young man. Alex is making a delicous dinner and I don't want you stuffed like a pillow with dessert before you even eat it. Now, why don't you go and get cleaned up? I'm going to help Alex make the salad." 

"Salad?!" moaned Billy. Things were taking an ugly turn. 

"I'm going to make some garlic bread, too," cajoled Alex. 

Only partially placated, Billy heaved a heartfelt sigh and turned a yearning gaze at the cupcakes as his dad picked up the platter and put them aside. 

"You're a hard man, Mulder," said Alex. 

"That...comes...later," returned his father with a funny wag of his eyebrows. 

For some reason, Alex's cheeks started to turn pink. It didn't make any sense to Billy. All he knew was that, for the moment, he'd lost his chance at a yummy cupcake. 

"And don't forget to wash your face, too, and get rid of that chocolate moustache. And put on a fresh t-shirt." 

"Oh, okaaay." Hanging his head for effect, the child headed for the bathroom, deciding the sooner he got ready, the sooner he would get to dessert. 

After he'd washed his face and hands and did his best not to bunch up the towels on the rack, he pulled out his favorite "Ectoplasmic" t-shirt. It was black with creepy, smoky green letters. He thought it was his most excellent piece of clothing, and it was extra special because his Dad had given it to him. Billy wondered if Alex knew what ectoplasmic meant. His nose twitched at the wonderful smells as he headed back down the stairs. He stopped at the kitchen door. Alex was stirring the big pot of sauce. His dad had his arm around Alex's waist and looked like he was whispering into his ear. 

"Can we eat now?" asked Billy and frowned as Alex seemed to leap away from his dad, a bit of red sauce flying into the air from the spoon in his hand and plopping on the counter. 

Alex's face looked all pink again as he grabbed some paper towels and began quickly cleaning the spill. 

"Uh, yeah, why don't you sit down at the table," said his dad. Then he winked at Alex whose face got even redder. 

Billy shrugged and slid into his chair. Grownups could act pretty weird sometimes. 

The spaghetti and meatballs were really good. Alex even made the meatballs smaller, just the way Billy liked them. Even the salad wasn't too bad with corn bits and a tangy sweet dressing. 

"Do you believe in stuff like ghosts and monsters?" asked Billy as he crunched on his buttery garlic bread. Most of his friends from school hated garlic bread, but Billy loved it. He figured his dad must've told Alex, because the bread was extra buttery and golden brown. 

"Well, I've never seen a ghost but I've dealt with a monster or two," replied Alex. "So, yeah, I believe in stuff like that." 

"My daddy's seen loads of ghosts and monsters and unsplaned 'nomena. He used to be a 'vestigator, huh, Daddy?" 

Mulder's lips crimped into a smile as he nodded. 

"Yes, I know. I worked with your Dad for a while when he was with the FBI." 

That sparked a flow of questions from Billy that lasted for the remainder of the meal, even though it didn't seem like Alex or his dad were really giving him the whole answers. It was like how his mom would get sometimes when Billy asked about the Aliens. His dad didn't like to talk about that either, except to say that the space monsters were gone and would never be coming back. 

Billy decided not to worry about it. One day his dad would explain everything and Billy could wait. Besides, he got to have two cupcakes and they were really, really good. "Can we make these again sometime, Alex?" 

Alex gave him a quick smile. "Sure, any time you want." 

"For breakfast?" he asked hopefully. 

"Absolutely not," replied his father quickly. "Your mom thinks I feed you enough sugar as it is." 

Billy made a face. His mom was always worrying about his teeth and stuff. He was glad that Uncle Walter lived with them now. Uncle Walter made his mom smile and laugh a whole lot more than she did before so she didn't make a big fuss over him like she used to. He also got to spend more time with his dad now and he liked that best of all. 

"That was a great dinner, Alex!" said Billy with an icing-smudged grin. "I wish dad cooked as good as you," he added, wincing as he realized he'd just insulted his father. 

"Yeah, thanks, Alex," agreed his dad, smiling at the both of them and showing Billy he wasn't in the least bit offended. 

"You're welcome," replied Alex softly. 

They spent the rest of the evening watching one of Billy's favorite shows about a bunch of ghost hunters. It was supposed to be scary but it never scared Billy. All the same, his dad said he couldn't watch it by himself. Billy liked to lie on the rug in front of the big TV. At first, Alex sat in the comfy leather chair, but then his dad pulled him out of the chair and made him sit on the sofa next to him. 

Halfway through the show, the phone rang. 

"Oh, hi, Scully." 

Billy turned around for a moment as his dad started talking to his mom. 

"Yeah, he's fine. Finished dinner a little while ago. We're watching TV now." His dad scratched the back of his neck and glanced at Alex. "Not much, go exploring in the woods tomorrow, just hang around, and work on his new jigsaw. How's everything with you?" There was a long pause and then his dad laughed. "Walter's a good influence on you, Scully." He listened for another minute or so and then called to Billy. "Hey, kiddo, your mom wants to say 'goodnight' to you." 

Billy got up and took the phone from his dad. "Hi, Mommy." His mom told him she missed him and so did Uncle Walter and asked him if he was having a nice time. "Yup, I made cupcakes with Alex without a box and he made spaghetti and meatballs, too, and garlic bre--huh? Oh, Alex got here today," he answered. "I 'membered him, Mommy, from when I was in the fire." He listened to his mom for a minute and handed the phone to the man sitting on the couch. "Mom wants to talk to you, Alex." 

Alex gazed at it with a funny look on his face before bringing it up to his ear. "Uh, hello?" 

His dad was chewing on his lip and looking at Alex out of the corner of his eye. 

"I got back...a while ago." _Pause_. "Here and there." _Pause_. "This and that. Tying up some loose ends." _Long pause_. "I couldn't. It's not that simple." _Another pause_. "I can't answer that, Dana. I'm not the only one...involved, as you well know." _Pause_. Alex glanced at Billy and smiled. "Yeah, he's a great kid." _Pause_. "I was a little surprised, too. He's very gifted." _Another pause_. "I...I don't know. We, er, haven't discussed it and I really don't think the time is right." _Pause_. "No, don't put him on!" 

Billy watched as his dad frowned and Alex squeezed his eyes shut, then let out a breath. "Yeah, Skinner." _Pause_. "Do I have a choice?" _Quick pause_. "I didn't think so. So, go on." _Extra long pause_. "Yeah, yeah, I'll think about it. It's not just up to me, you know." There was one more pause before Alex rolled his eyes, handing the phone to Mulder without a word. 

"Hey, Walt, how's it hangin'?" His dad winked at him as he began to listen. "Old song you're singing there, Walter." His dad bit down on his lip as if he wanted to say something but couldn't "Umm, a journey of a thousand miles...blah, blah, blah. Listen, I'm sure you could give me the benefit of your sage advice for hours on end and would be delighted to do so, but I gotta go. C'mon, give me a break. I have a child to put to bed. Yes, I will. And yes, I can hear you, too, Scully. Stop yelling. It's not ladylike." _Pause_. "Man, that woman swears like a longshoreman. Hey, Walter, you wanna say 'goodnight' to Billy?" His dad laughed and held the phone back out to Billy. "Here you go, kiddo," 

"Hi, Uncle Walter!" Walter greeted Billy warmly and asked him if he was having a nice time with Alex and his dad. "Yeah, I'm having a really good time. We're watching my ghosthunters show now." Walter told him that he could always call his mom if he got bored or needed anything or just wanted to talk to either of them, but Billy told them he had lots of stuff to do and he was just fine. His mom came on the line and they both said 'goodnight' to him and told him not to stay up too late and not to eat too many sweets and to be sure to brush his teeth. 

He finally gave the phone back to his dad to put away and blew out a big, relieved breath. "They sure talk a lot sometimes, huh, dad?" 

His dad laughed out loud and Alex began to chuckle, too. 

Billy wasn't sleepy. His show wasn't as interesting as usual, especially since they didn't find any ghosts, so Billy asked Alex if he wanted to help him with his new jigsaw puzzle. It had a 1,000 pieces and it was his biggest one ever. 

"Loch Ness Monster?" asked Alex as he and Billy settled on pillows around the coffee table and he picked up the cover of the box. 

"Yeah! Nessie is a big ol' dragon that lives in a lake. I don't think Nessie is a monster though," replied Billy. He began searching through the pieces. One day, when he grew up, he was going to go and see Nessie for himself. 

Alex looked at his dad. "You ever seen `Nessie', Mulder?" 

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know where one of his relatives hangs out. Had a case once..." 

Billy was always amazed and fascinated by all the weird and mysterious things his dad had seen and done. Even though his mom and dad had worked together, his mom never seemed as interested in all that creepy good stuff. Of course, she really didn't like talking about it either, so Billy wasn't sure. It seemed like Alex was a lot more like his dad when it came to spooky stuff, thought Billy with a smile. 

They made pretty good progress on the puzzle and they already had Nessie's head and part of the lake all done. Alex was really good at puzzles. His dad helped with some pieces, too, but mostly he just looked at Alex a lot. Billy yawned and rubbed at his eyes. 

"I think it's past your bedtime, son." 

He didn't want to go to sleep. "Can I have another cupcake before bed?" 

"Your mom would hang me up by my...toes. You can have one tomorrow, okay? C'mon, time to wash up and get changed for bed." His dad picked him up and hoisted him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, making Billy giggle as he hung half-way upside down. He waved at Alex who waved back. "Are you gonna be here tomorrow, Alex?" he yelled. 

"Well, uh..." Alex rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I...I should really get going--" 

His dad turned quickly and Billy couldn't see Alex anymore as his dad yelled. "Stay right there until I get back, you hear!" 

That was his dad's 'I really mean it' voice. Billy didn't want Alex to go either. He liked having Alex around. He wondered if it was because there was no spare bed. His dad had turned the guest room into Billy's bedroom and the other upstairs room had his father's desk and 'puter and lots of books and files in boxes so there wasn't a bed in it anymore. 

As his dad shifted to walk up the stairs, he saw Alex watching them, his head tilting to one side and an almost sad expression on his face. 

Billy hurried through his washing up and getting ready for bed. He had a bad feeling that Alex would leave if his dad didn't talk to him right away. "Don't let Alex go away, Daddy. I like him," he said as his father tucked him under the covers and kissed his forehead. "You gotta hurry! He's gonna leave!" 

His dad looked at him for a moment and nodded solemnly. Then he gave Billy a hug and raced out of the room. 

Billy lay back against his pillow and sighed. He wondered why Alex would want to leave. They were having a really good time together. It confused him because he could 'feel' that Alex was really happy being with them. And his dad was really, really happy, too. It didn't make sense. Seemed like grown-ups were awful hard to understand. 

He sat up and grabbed his unicorn from where it lay beside his pillow and held it up before him. "What should I do, Chester?" he asked his plushy friend. The unicorn's head dipped to the side, horn pointing towards the door, as he bounced it on his knees. "You think I should go tell Alex that I want him to stay, too?" Billy hugged the stuffed toy tightly, put him back on the pillow, and scooted off the bed. He padded out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs. 

He was just at the foot of the stairs when he heard them talking around the corner, near the front door. They were talking softly, but Billy could hear them. When he wanted to, Billy could hear remarkably well. All he had to door was focus on the voices he wanted to hear and 'pull' them to him. He hadn't told his mother that yet, and knew his father would probably figure it out. His father always seemed to figure out stuff like that. He knew it wasn't nice to eavesdrop and he never did it unless it was really, really important. If Alex said he was going to stay, then Billy would just go back to bed. 

"Mulder, I just don't think this is a good idea." 

"But Billy wants you to stay." 

"That's just the point. Billy's a wonderful, special kid." The husky voice became even softer. "But, he's just a kid. I don't want us to...upset him. And if I stay, I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you. How are we going to explain that?" 

Now, Billy moved a few steps closer and focused until every word was clear. His dad was pushing Alex back into the living room and onto the sofa. 

"By not underestimating him. Look, Alex, he's my son. He'll be okay with it. It took long enough to get you to come back to me. Don't think I'll let you walk out of here now because of some antiquated notion. Even Scully and Walter were glad you finally showed up." 

"Mulder, if I agree to stay, I don't think I should be in your room. I can sleep here on the sofa." 

"Like hell." 

Billy tiptoed forward and peeked around the corner just as his dad put a hand behind Alex's head and pulled them together, until their mouths were all squished. 

Billy's eyes grew wide as he watched his dad kissing Alex. He frowned. It looked a lot like the way his mom would kiss Uncle Walter. It was the same, but it was...different. 

Without realizing it, he padded closer, staring as the two men kept kissing. He thought Alex was making a noise, kinda like a moan. Their arms were wrapped around each other and moving up and down like they were trying to touch each other everywhere at once. It looked like they were kissing awfully hard. 

Yeah, they were definitely kissing like his mom and Uncle Walter. 

Billy thought kissing was really messy and silly looking. He didn't know why grown-ups would want to do all that lip sucking and messing around and slobbering. It just seemed really, really...yucky. 

It seemed like Billy stood there forever. He wondered how they could kiss so long with their faces all smashed together. Wasn't it hard to breathe? Whenever they were kissing, Uncle Walter and his mom usually noticed pretty quick when he was around. "Hey, Dad, are you and Alex gonna kiss for much longer?" 

Billy jumped back as the two men on the sofa suddenly flew. Alex was staring at him like he was scared, his face turning a red color. His dad's eyebrows were way up and he was biting down on his lip. "Your mouth is all sweaty," noted Billy as he glanced from Alex to his father. 

Alex instantly wiped at his mouth, his eyes now focused on the sofa cushions. 

"Billy...uh, have you been standing there...for a while?" 

"I didn't mean to listen, Daddy. I just wanted to make sure that Alex was gonna stay over. Are you gonna kiss him again?" 

After a moment, his dad scooted towards him, giving him a funny look, like he was a little scared, too. "Would you mind if I did?" 

"It's gross," he honestly replied. Billy and watched as Alex covered his eyes with his hand. "But I guess grown-ups like to do it. Mom and Uncle Walter are kissing all the time. Mom says people who love each other like to kiss." He sighed. "So, I guess you love each other, huh?" 

His dad smiled slowly at him and Alex lowered his hand, glancing up at both of them. "Yes, Billy, I love Alex and I'm pretty sure he loves me, too." His dad turned slightly, looking at Alex expectantly. 

When Alex didn't say anything, Billy asked, "Do you love my Daddy, Alex?" He was glad that Alex didn't look so scared anymore, even though his face was still kinda pink. 

Alex was staring at his dad, his face all soft looking. He nodded. "Yeah, Billy, I do." His voice was even huskier. 

Billy gave them a resigned shrug. "Guess you gotta kiss then." He brightened. "So, are you gonna stay overnight? You can do a lot of kissing if you stay overnight." 

His father laughed out loud. "Hey, that's right, Alex, that's a lot of premium smooching time." Then he reached out and put his hand on Billy's shoulder. His expression changed into one that Billy thought of as his Serious Face. His dad always looked like that when he had something very important he wanted to talk about. "Billy, how would you feel if Alex stayed for more than just overnight? What if he stayed with me forever?" 

"Mulder!" Alex's eyes looked really big, like he was surprised and nervous at the same time. 

Billy noticed that his dad didn't seem to pay attention to Alex. "Well, would I have to give up my room?" His dad gave him a lopsided grin. "No, that'll always be your bedroom, kiddo. Alex would stay with me in my room." 

Billy grinned back. "Sure, that sounds great!" 

"Mulder, I don't think this is the right time to--" 

"Oh, it's the right time, Alex. Or, don't you want to stay?" 

"It's not that simple." 

"Yes, it is, take it from the Master Complicator. I've learned the hard way." 

"It's not fair to spring it on...everybody, all of a sudden like this." A little wrinkle deepened above Alex's nose. 

Billy felt the tension sparking between the two men again and glanced from one to the other worriedly. "Is it because you want your own room? I--I guess I could give mine up," he added reluctantly. 

"No, Billy, I don't want your room! That's not it at all. I..." Alex stopped, getting up and taking the two steps to kneel down in front of him so they were looking eye to eye. "Are you _sure_ you wouldn't mind if I...lived with your Dad...forever?" 

"It'll make him happy. I can _feel_ it," replied the boy. "I don't want daddy to be by himself and I can't be here all the time." Billy reached out and touched the scar near Alex's chin. "I don't want you to be alone either. You've been alone and sad for a long time, I can tell. Please say you'll stay." 

He watched as Alex lowered his head, swallowing as if something was in his throat. When he looked back up, he pulled Billy into a gentle hug. "Thanks, Billy," he whispered. 

"But you can still work on the puzzle with me tomorrow, right Alex?" cut in Billy. He didn't mind them kissing but he didn't want it to use up all the really fun time while he was here. 

"Of course I want to work on the puzzle with you. Or anything else you'd like to do." 

"Can we go into the woods and `vestigate?" 

"Sure." 

"All right!" Billy threw his arms around Alex and hugged him tight. He figured Alex would be just as good at `vestigating as his dad. When he let go he thought Alex's green eyes looked awful shiny, almost like he was gonna cry but then he smiled and brushed a hand over Billy's hair. 

"Okay," said his dad. "Now that's settled, are you ready to get back to bed? Want me to tuck you in again?" 

Billy really didn't want to go to bed even if he was kinda sleepy. He puffed out his chest. "I'm not a baby, Daddy." 

His dad bit down on his lip. Billy knew he was trying not to laugh and let out a sigh. 

"Okay, young man," conceded his father. "Then go on to bed and we'll see you in the morning." 

Billy headed back towards his bedroom, calling over his shoulder. "Night, Daddy, night, Alex." 

"Sweet dreams, son." 

"Goodnight, Billy." 

He was almost to his door, when he paused for a bit, turned and silently tiptoed back down the hallway, peeking into the living room. Yup, they were kissing again. Shrugging, he figured he was going to see a lot of that from now on. Wrinkling his nose and backing away, Billy yawned and padded towards his room and his bed. He still thought kissing was really gross. 

_The End_

  
 

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Title:   **The View from 3 Foot 5**   
Author:  Courtney Gray   [email/website]   
Details:   **Standalone**  |  **PG**  |  **27k**  |  **02/13/10**   
Pairings:  Mulder/Krycek   
Category:  Relationship, AU (Alternate Universe)   
Summary:  Schmoop from a pint-sized perspective.   
  
  
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